Dear missionary, McKay Burrows

He was a sweeper at my school, he vacuumed my classroom and others', various cleaning jobs around the school, and we joked around from time to time. When I heard the news I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I was the saddest person. I was seriously crying about this sad thing. How could the Lord let such a terrible thing happen? A co-worker is in the same ward as the family and reported the mom was just wailing and completely out of sorts, laying on the ground. I kept thinking about my missionary, something like that happening to him, not that it'd be a surprise, living in a third world country and esp. that Matt shared a story about hearing a gun-shot a few doors down and lo and behold it was someone who had taken their own life with a gun-shot to the head. So, anyhoooo, I was just crying and crying all throughout the first week of Feb., b/c I was so upset about the passing away of this boy. I was focused on the "what if" it happened to Matt? You think of picking up your son at the airport like all the other moms and families, at the bottom of the escalator, and -- not for the Burrows. Where's the pick up for your son that comes home in a box? Is he dressed? Is he embalmed? Was he cared for properly? I happen to know, now, that he was cared for, he was dressed in his suit, with his missionary name tag on. I am getting emotional all over again, now, thinking of this boy's body, arriving a week after his untimely death, back home.
BUT!!! let me share some words of Elder Russell M. Nelson that spoke at the funeral:
"At times like this, we are prone to ask questions. We wonder, should these choice young men have been sent to a safer place? But there is no place on earth that is free from risk. My advice for each of us is not to torture ourselves with 'what if' questions. They bring neither clarity nor comfort. Substitute your 'what if' questions with 'because of' declarations."
Reminding the congregation of eternal laws of the gospel, he spoke of the resurrection from temporal death, and the blessing of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through these eternal laws, individuals can qualify for eternal life and families are able to be together forever.
"As mortals we think of his death as premature. But from McKay's heavenly perspective, death is not premature. It is not premature for one who is prepared to meet God. Death is only premature for one not prepared to meet God. Our existence in this period of mortality allows us to get a body, to develop faith and to prove ourselves.
McKay has done that. ... While here we weep for the loss of this dear young man, on the other side of the veil, there are tears of joy. (He talks about McKay being a missionary and teaching the gospel in the spirit world. He said, those of us that are left behind will experience a trial of our faith.)
more: "We also know that this time of mortality is not a destination in itself. It is but a journey toward our ultimate destiny, which is to return to our Heavenly Father."

JJ's new lease on life

I can just now talk about this with a calm, eternal perspective, just like the next post which will be the passing away of an acquaintance, Elder McKay Burrows, who was serving a mission in Romania and died in his sleep of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. It has been a sobering month for me. Understanding the plan of salvation and grasping onto eternal perspectives makes all the difference. I am thankful for an understanding of these things.

Our boy was driving on the SR-92, the Highland Highway, westbound a few Friday nights ago.
It was a snow storm and he was going, like 45--WAY TOO FAST. He was alone. He felt the car start to glide and lose control, moving into the traffic going eastbound. . . . to avoid a head on crash he cranked the steering wheel and away he went, flying through the air . . . spinning, rolling . . landing by the canal that runs parallel to the road. The car landed on its roof, but facing eastbound. Of course, this all happened in like, 10 seconds. . . Two cars pulled over to help and see if they should call 911.
Out of the passenger window, . . . this creature, covered in straw-like weeds, emerges up the hill. JJ calmly unsnaps his seat belt and exits the car as if it was nothing. Now, both you and I know that the slightest variable of physics, the slightest turn or jerk could've changed everything. Remember, the car landed on the roof, . . . . I mean a head injury, JJ in a vegetative state, paralyzed, decapitated, dead, etc. . . any number of scenarios come to mind.
This is a testimony that JJ's time to on earth is not finished. I honestly, truly feel this way. I feel it's not about luck, it's about him having a work to accomplish or learn something still.
Yesterday JJ gave a talk in sac. meeting. I know he has grasped this for himself. He has learned some insights that I'm thankful as his mother.
Thank the Lord for sparing his life. The thought of David -- the dear twin they've shared everything in life with -- living in the house alone, David going on a mission without JJ, Matt away, serving in Honduras, OMG.....just the what ifs can really get you emotional. We are thankful he's alive.
One thing I've learned lately is the what if questions can really get you down in life. I'll talk about that in next post. Instead, think of the BECAUSE OF declarations as it pertains to Elder Burrows' passing. It'll brings a peace. These are Elder Russell M. Nelson's ideas I'm talking about, I wouldn't want to say I'm smart enough to come up with that on my own.

Hello! I'm back, . . . again!

Things are starting to quiet down in my life now-a-days, i.e., our missionary has been out for almost 6 months, the current school-year is starting to turn the corner--AH. . . the end is in sight, the once dreaded RS Pres. calling is starting to be fun now.
There is much to post about that is soon to come: JJ's car accident, McKay Burrows' (a former sweeper at my school) tragic passing away while serving as a missionary in Romania and, last, a fun b-day trip to the Donny & Marie show.---more to come. I know, I've said that before. I said I'd put the pics of Fall Break on. Ha, I don't know where to find them.
The best news, lately, is that Brooke is pregnant with their first child, a baby girl, due May 7th, which makes T and I grandparents. . . oh for heaven's sake! Dontcha know? how wonderful!!!!!

The pics I posted this time are random, like of Matt & T seven years ago at Lake Powell, Maui (Kaanapali) in June, some little ninos from Honduras Matt baptized, one of the houses I grew up in, in CA, Matt's graduation with the our beautiful children, Matt with Kiley Crump our niece. ----just some fun pics for your enjoyment.